Coal-separating machine.



W. A. RiLEY.

COAL SEPARATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE H. x915.

Patented Nov 2 SHEETS SHEET.-

5 W1; Z lime/LE WILLIAM A.' RILEY, 0F WYOMING, PENNSYLVANIA. A

COAL-SEPARATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Application filed June 11, 1915. Serial No. 33,566.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM A. RILEY, a citizen of thel nited States, residing at lVyoming, in the. county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coal-Separating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in coal jigs or machines for separating'coal from rock, slate and other refuse materials by specific gravity, and particularly to improvements in separating machines of that class in which the mixed coal and other substances are subjected to the separating action of a body of agitated water.

The primary object of the invention is toprovide a novel construction'of screen bottom for the separating chamber and automatic gate controlling the slate outlet, whereby a more reliable and efiicient separating action is effected and the amount of coal discharged with the slate and rock decreased to a material degree.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gravity controlled gate of novel structure which operates to decrease the liability of the slate rising and discharging through the coal outlet and also sensitively controls the action of the gate to discharge the slate and rock when a determined amount accumulates within the bottom of the separating chamber.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fully described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the application of my invention to a coal separating machine in which the separating compartment is stationary and the agitation of the water produced by the action of a plunger, the gate appearing in normal or closed position. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the gate open to discharge the accumulated slate and rock and to prevent the discharge of any coal therewith. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the gate detached. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the gate on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the same.

In the structural organization disclosed, I have shown a coal separating machine embodying an upright tank 1 partitioned to provide a plunger chamber or compartment 2, a separating chamber or compartment 3, an agitating and refuse discharge compartment at having a valved outlet' 5, and superposed discharge troughs 6 and 7 communicating, respectively, with the outlets 8 and 9 of the compartment 3 and within which troughs are respectively arranged the con- :veyers 10 and 11 for respectively carrying off the separated coal and the slate and rock from which the coal has been separated. I

As shown, the coal discharge outlet 8 is arranged partially belowand partially above the level of the separating liquid 1-2, while the outlet 9 is arranged wholly below the level of the surface of the liquid, and a plunger 13 is arranged to reciprocate inthe chamber 2 and is herein shown as reciprocated through the medium of a connecting rod 1-1 from an eccentric 15 on an operating or drive shaft 16, which may be actuated in practice from any suitable'source of power and which may be coupled by suitable driving connections (not shown) with the conveyers 6 and 7 for operation in unison there with.

The separating chamber 3 is provided with a stepped screen bottom separating the same from the chamber 1 and through which the said two chambers are in communication with each other. screen fbottom comprises upper and lower front and rear platforms or treads 17 and 1S and an intermediate riser 19, a riser 20 also being provided between the tread 17 and a short shelf or platform 21 arranged beneath a chute or conductor 22 whereby the material to be separated is conducted to the apparatus. The treads and risers of the screen bottom are'composed of perforated sheet metal and a suitable frame structure, the perforations in the sheet metal being of proper size to permit of the free flow of the water between the compartments 3 and at: and discharge of all fine particles of material from the compartment 3 to the compartment {lfor final discharge as refuse through the ouiiet 5, While at the same time preventing any particles of any material size from passing through the perforations. In the operation of the apparatus it will be understood that the coal is fed in suitable quantity to be readily handled through the conductor: or chute 22 to the separating chambe' and falls first upon the 11131? screen grate 17 over the surface of whi? This stepped spreads, and that the plunger is operated acts upon the newly mined coal, which is mixed with a considerable amount of slate and rock, thereby separating the comparatively light particles of coal from the proportionately heavier particles of slate and rock, the slate and rock feeding downward by gravity from the upper screen 17 onto the lowerscreen 18 while the coal is washed up from the bed ofrock and slate thus produced and discharged through the outlet 8, to be conducted away by=the conveyer 6, the slateand rock feeding gradually downward for discharge through the outlet 9 for conveyance to any suitable point of discharge or deposit by the conveyer 7. If desired, a regulating gate or apron '22 may be employed to govern or control the amount of material entering the washing chamber from the chute or conductor 22.

The. slate outlet 9 is governed by a gravity controlled gate 23 consisting of an inner perforate or screen section 2% and an outer imperforate plate or section 25, the said gate sections being secured to the relatively diverging arms :26 and 27 of brackets or supporting members 28, which arms are connected by braces 28 and also by eyes or loops 28" pivot-ally engaging a rod'or shaft 29. The inner gate section 24 is coupled by a connecting rod 30 with one arm of a lever 31 pivot-ally supported by an adjustable hanger 32 from an overhead support 33, the. other arm of said lever being provided with an adjustable weight 34: which normally counter-balances the weightof the gate and operates thrr 1 ato hold theinner gate section open and the outer gate section 25 closed, as shown clear] y in Fig. 2.

In its normal. or closed position the gate section closes the outlet 9 against the discharge of material, while the gate section 24 when in its normally openposition lies at an angle to the horizontal in rear of and below-the outlet 8 and in the path of the slate and rock moving downwardly over the screen bottom of the separating chainlwr to the outlet 9. In such normal position the gate section 24 serves as a screen guard to up. to the outlet 8 and discharging iviththe prevent particles of slate from being forced coa-l, ;while it also receives the pressure of the accumulating slate and .roclc, which bai'iks thereomand thus acts an actuating -deviceqor, lever which will move to closed position under the weight of an accumu-' latedouantity ofslate and rock sufficientto overcomeathe' weight of the counterbalancmg lever and m sodoing will open the gate section-(:25 'to -perm1ttheportion of slate .r. H y

= and rock in the pocket or trap 35 beneath the inverted V-shaped gate and adjacent to the outlet 9 to discharge through said ou let, the gate section 2% meanwhile cutting off the discharge of any further quantity of the slate and rock. By this means the slate and rock will be automatically discharged in small portions or quantities as the same accumulate within the outlet 9, thus preventing any but a ientary opening of the outlet 9 and an a vo1dance of the collection of the screening and separating action is rem dered much more certain, reliable and e tii-. cient than would be the case if the, slate and rock were discharged in large quantities-at, comparative-ly longperiods, smcethe actlon carried out maintains a comparativelythin, layer or bed of the rock and slate in which no considerable quantity of the coal can be held, whereas the retention and accumula- Y tion of the slate and rock for any considerv able period and in a large quantitywould tend not only to hold a quantity, of coal which would discharge therewith, but would I alsotend to clog the screen bottom and decrease the force of motion of the washing 1 fluid and its separating action.

An important feature of my invention resides in the provision of the screen grate section which not only maintains a prede'ter mined level of, the slate and rock on the screeIrbottonrof the separating compartment, but is arrangedso asv to be subjected to the pressure of additional slate and rock until a predetermined amount is accumulated, at which time it is depressed and. moved 1n an outward and downward direc-' shaped gate. By this means the clogging of the constricted passagebetween the sepa- \113 rating compartment and the said pocket or trap is avoided, while'at the same time the screen gate section sweeps the slate in the pocket. through the discharge outlet tothe exterior, leaving the way clear for the subsequent clo'sing of the gate. lViy improved- I gate thus overcomes objections to prior structures in which an automatic discharg 7 gate is employed in conjunction-with a fixed i screen plate at the inner side of the discharge opening. I

While in the present instance I have shown a separating machine in which a relative motion of the Water or liquid is produccd by the action of a relatively movable element or plunger, and I have also shown certain particular features of construction, forms and arrangement of parts, it is to be understood that any equivalent mechanism may be employed within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim 1. A coal separating machine including a tank adapted to contain a liquid and having a separating chamber provided with superposed outlets and a screen bottom through which said chamber is in communication with the tank, means for agitating the water in said chamber by forcing it through said screen bottom, and an automatic gate controlling the lower outlet from the separating chamber, said gate comprising an outer imperforate section and an inner perforate section, the latter being arranged above said perforate bottom and movable in unison with said imperforate gate section.

2. A coal separating machine comprising a tank adapted to contain a liquid and having a separating chamber provided with su perposed outlets and a screen bottom through which said chamber is in communication with the tank, means for agitating the water in said chamber by forcing it through said screen bottom, a gate controlling the lower outlet from the chamber and comprising a normally closed imperforate section and nor- .mally open perforate inner section, the latter being adapted to lie when open in an inclined position beneath the upper outlet from the chamber and to be subjected to the pres-. sure of the coal and slate in the bottom of the chamber, said gate sections being connected for movement in unison, and means for normally holding the gate closed and permitting it to open when the inner gate section is subjected to a predetermined pressure.

3. A coal separating machine comprising a tank adapted to contain a liquid and having a separating chamber provided with superposed outlets and a screen bottom through which said chamber is in communication with the tank, means for agitating the water in said chamber by forcing it through said screen bottom, a swinging gate controlling the lower outlet from the chamber and comprising a normally closed imperforate sec tion and normally open perforate inner section, the latter being movable with the former and adapted to lie when open in an inclined position beneath the upper out-let from the chamber and to be subjected to the pressure of the coal and slate inthe bottom of the chamber, and gravity controlled means for normally holding the gate closed and permitting it to open when the inner gate section is subjected to a predetermined pressure.

, verse the action of the gate section.

l. A separating machine comprising a tank adapted to contain a liquid and having a separating chamber, said chamber having a steppedv screen bottom communicating through the perforations therein with said liquid containing space, the said bottom embodying upper and lower inclined platform portions, the upper platform section being inclined to a less degree than the upper platform section, and said chamber being pro vided with superposed outlets, the lower outlet being in proximity to the space immediately above the lower platform portion, means for agitating the water in the tank and forcing it through the screen bottom of the chamber, a gate controlling the lower outlet from the chamber and comprising a normally closed imperforate section and nor mally open perforate inner section, the latter being movable with the former and adapted to lie when in an inclined position beneath the upper outlet from the chamber and to be subjected to the pressure of the coal and slate in the bottom of the chamber, and means for normally holding the gate closed and permitting it to open when the inner gate section is subjected to a predetermined pressure.

5. A coal separating machine comprising a tank having a space adapted to contain a liquid and a chamber provided with superposed outlets, said chamber being also provided with a screen bottom through which it is in communication with said liquid containing space, means for agitating the water in the liquid containing space and chamber, a gate controlling the outlet at the bottom of the chamber and comprising relathely inclined outer imperforate and inner perforate sections and brackets having correspondingly inclined arms connecting said gate sections and pivotally engaging said support, and a gravity controlled element for normally holding the outer gate section closed and the inner gate section open and adapted to permit'motion of the gate to re- 6. A separating machine of the characser described comprising a separating chamber having superposed coal and slate discharge openings, an outwardly opening imperforate hinged gate controlling the slate discharge opening, a perforated pressure plate connected for movement with the gate, means for resisting movement of the gate and pressure plate and returning the same to normal position after actuation, and means for intermittently establishing a fioW of Water in the separating chamber. l

7 A separating machine of the character -described comprising a separating chamber having superposed coal and slate ,discharge openings and a screen bottom compos of stepped inclined sectlons, the lower section of sald screen bottom belng inchreo' to .a

greater degree than the upper section thereof and disposedfadjacent to said outlet, an-

outwardly opening hinged gate controlling the slate discharge opening, a perforated pressure plate connected for movement with the gate and disposed above the lower inclined section of the screen bottom, means f for resisting, movement of the gate and pres- Sure plate and returning the same to normal 

